We fight, we break up, we kiss, we make up–how many of us are over that pattern? As cliché as it may seem, the new year is a time for rejuvenation and closing the chapter on what was in favor of opening your pages to what’s new. What better way to embrace the new year than with new emotion? Every relationship is different, but a lot of the ebbs experienced within one are common among all relationships.

Do we know how to speak to one another in a language with both understand? Do we know how relate to each other when times are bad just as well as we do when times are good?

Do we know how to be here, really be here? Relationships are work, a choice is made every day to continue to build with your partner, but what good is building if the framework is all wrong? Below are five relationship commandments that will improve your love life in 2016, one day at a time. Thou shall not talk about the past That goes for exes and double for bringing up issues that have been laid to rest. Hurt people, hurt people. A lot of times in relationships, a cycle of resentment become passive aggressive behaviors that make waves. Too often we aren’t honest about how something makes us feel and don’t properly address things that stir those feelings, so the circle of hurt goes on and on. A disagreement about date plans becomes about the time he forgot your anniversary two years ago.

Why? Address issues as they come; relay to your partner how you feel, forgive, and move forward. A conversation involving negative emotions is not your cue to dig up dirt from the past to throw at your partner in an attempt to hurt him/her the way that you are still hurt. Walks in the park talking and recapping childhood memories can be a beautiful thing, but keep what you have chosen to forgive your partner for out of your love garden. That encourages growth. Keep what you have chosen to forgive your partner for out of your love garden Thou shall figure out what effective communication looks like and utilize it Not every blurb of advice is going to work for every couple. Communication is one of those things is often easy when speaking positively or in high spirits, but its real test is how you relate to one another in times of grievances or when the subject at hand is a difficult one.

If you’re talking more than listening, you’re probably doing it wrong, and if every tough discussion becomes a fight, you’re definitely doing it wrong. What’s effective for your partner? Do you find that they are more compliant when spoken to directly without accusatory language? Or is it better to write down bullet points about what you wish to say and end things with “can you help me with a solution for this?” Sensitivities get the best of us in high stress situations, so the best thing to do is note what works for you as a couple and save yourself the headache and tears in the wake. Also, some noteworthy info can be found in this extra credit read The 5 Love Languages. Thou shall not invite another into your relationship A lot of the time issues come about because there are too many cooks in the kitchen.

Your best girlfriend knows every grievance you’ve ever had with your man and instead of calming the fire, she fans the flames. People often look at this commandment as an obvious one because when we think about inviting other people into our relationship, our minds automatically go to cheating. But just like there are different ways to cheat, there are different ways for a relationship to be burdened by taking on far too many energies. Thou shall put that phone down I’m guilty of this sometimes, and honestly have to make a conscious effort to put my phone down because it has become synonymous with curing boredo,m and with time, our attention spans have decreased. I even notice I do it as a response to someone else doing it in front of me. Putting that phone down is not only a sign of respect, but it’s a reminder to stay present. I know Instagram and Snapchat are huge things in this day and age, but if you and yours are spending time together, keep the usies and the food pics to a minimum.

It’s the quality of the person around you, not the quality of the photo you’re taking for the likes. Thou shall never forget to take care of thy self It’s a delicate balance that we often do not get right enough. When you are not happy and believe it is an obstacle for your partner to fix, you’re damaging the relationship.. Happiness is something that you are responsible for cultivating & maintaining within yourself. Although your partner should add to that and not subtract from it, it is not their burden to bear. When you forget to have self love or allow your self-care practices to take a backseat to your love life, your career, your family, your friends, etc., you are depleting yourself of your capacity to have good love. That in no way means to be selfish in your relationship, but it is okay to draw boundaries and be selfish with yourself.

A new development on the forthcoming Tupac biopic, All Eyez On Me, just surfaced Monday evening (Jan. 11). According to Deadline, The Walking Dead’s Danai Gurira will helm the role of the legendary rapper’s mother, Afeni Shakur. Recently, Gurira made headlines for her critically-acclaimed Broadway play Eclipsed, which also starred Lupita Nyong’o during its off-Broadway stint.

Her role as Michonne on The Walking Dead also made her a fan favorite among viewers. As an executive producer, Afeni Shakur will have a prominent hand in the way her son’s story will unfold in the Benny Boom-directed feature. Playing the likeness of the “California Love” artist will be newcomer Demetrius Shipp Jr.

The film is currently underway in Atlanta, Ga., and the plot will follow the pinnacle of Tupac’s career, his stint in jail and his time at Death Row Records. The reel had a rocky start with getting details in order, but in recent months, things have been looking up for the production of the highly-anticipated movie. Shipp also shared his excitement in an earlier Instagram post, writing, “Blessed to be in this position. Thankful I got to start my career off working with the great legend.”

Who knew, supermodel Tyra Banks is also a superstar interior designer. The ANTM creator's gorgeous L.A. digs are Spanish Colonial by way of a Nancy Meyers movie, and we are ready to move in. Anyone have $7.75 million we could borrow forever?

She Means Business After buying the property for a little over $3 million, Banks spent $2 million renovating, before putting it on the market for more than double the purchase price. She reportedly spent the hefty makeover budget redoing the kitchen, creating additional outdoor living space, and installing a home gym—all solid bets in the Beverly Hills real estate market.

Viewing Room A super cozy sectional and chic trestle-style coffee table make for a perfect TV watching spot for the media maven.

Kitchen Diva The kitchen was the centerpiece of Banks's big-time remodel. Subway tile with trendy dark grout backs the range, while other elements are more ornate, incorporating Italianate details.

Gathering Place The dining room is fit for entertaining a crowd. We're not sure how much cooking Tyra is doing, but per her Instagram, girl knows her way around a kale chip recipe.

]]>Monica Brown Talks Single Mother Syndrome and How She Regained Her Self-Esteem In Order To Love Againhttp://frequency360radio.com/on-air/porsha-fox/posts/167600
Thu, 17 Dec 2015 16:59:00 -0600http://frequency360radio.com/on-air/porsha-fox/posts/167600

And if you thought money, beauty and fame kept singer Monica immune to feeling those blues after a breakup? Guess again. Not only was she left hurt from having to be a single mother once her relationship with her children’s father didn’t work out, she was also hurt by the stereotype that surrounded it. Recently the loving wife and mother of three stopped by “The Breakfast Club” and opened about her experiences as a single mom turned wife, and the battle of her mind that she had leading up to this place in her life. See, for years following Monica’s split from ex-fiancé and baby father, rapper Rocko Hill (in which she shares two sons with) her self-esteem took a hit. Although her ex hadn’t abandoned his responsibilities as a father, he did fail her as a man. Her man. And like any woman, after a string of bad relationships, Monica blamed herself. However, we all know how this story ends! Not only has Monica regained her confidence as a woman, five years ago she also found love again through husband and NBA player Shannon Brown, who she admits gave a love-scorned Monica the ultimatum to either let him love her or leave (where do they make him, please?) It’s not about how you look. Bottom line is, once you’ve been through enough, once you’ve been cheated on, or talked to in a certain way, it’s going to break your spirits. I don’t care how good you look. I’ve always looked the same way on the outside but on the inside, I didn’t feel right.

I didn’t understand what took place, I felt bad because I always wanted my children to have two parents. I didn’t want them to go through what I had been through, I didn’t want them to go through what their dad had been through, not having a dad there at all. And I felt I had failed them in some way and I really had to take a step back and do a self check and really regroup and that’s what I was doing. I was getting “me” together in front of everybody. So no, I didn’t feel good about myself.” Why would you believe a man when he told you you’re not good enough? When a man tried to break you psychologically, why would Monica believe it?” “Well, because of my temper, they never said it to my face, they just acted like it. It never was said, but I think over the years, if there is years of action that just don’t amount up to what you feel like you should be worth, sometimes you get confused. [And they cheat with] somebody that doesn’t even remotely compare. You could just walk into a mall and you get a side eye and you don’t know why. And it’s like ‘What is she looking at?’ It’s hard. And this is the one downside to what I do. I don’t get the option of [the other woman] not knowing me.

They get that option where I have no clue who they are. But you know who I am, you know where to find me. That’s easy. So that’s the other part that makes it hard when going through [infidelity], but I think it was the best experience for me to go through because it prepared me for what not to allow today!” Here is the thing. Girls aren’t the only thirst buckets out there. So as soon as news kind of came out that ‘Ok, I’m single,’ it was the complete opposite. It’s weird, it was so weird. Because I’m kind of the around the way girl, I don’t get butt naked on the ‘gram and all that and I’m thinking, ‘Those are the kind of girls they like, they ain’t looking at me.’ But everybody all of a sudden wants to get married when I get single. It was so weird. I didn’t know [I was a hot commodity]. I didn’t know that. Coming out of a relationship for years, I just felt like a mom. “But you been looking fine Monica. Don’t act like you ain’t been fine, now!” “But people like ‘action’ (sex) and I ain’t an ‘Action Figure.’ Unless we’re married, now listen, we’re married [flips hair], it goes down! But I’m not an ‘action figure’ when I’m solo and single. So I was just thinking I’d be the last person [men would get at]. And I’m talking very well established thirst buckets; it was odd! But it was good for my confidence because my confidence was completely gone. I was focused on nothing else but being a mom and I felt like I was the opposite of what every man would want.” “It took a while. He was like hey, we need to talk. I’m doing everything I’m supposed to do. You can’t measure up one man by whatever you’ve experienced with another. So let me show you who I am or I’m about to cut this off. I was naturally nervous. You know, single mom with two boys. And just was very afraid, if anything else. I haven’t had any issues with him, that’s the part that is so crazy. And I’m thankful for that. But I think I’ve had to go through so much hell before him [with men], that I had to ask ‘God, could you shed your light? Because I get it now. I get what you’re trying to tell me?’ When he and I met, it wasn’t long before we got married. He told me the day we met that I’m going to be his wife. We met at my video shoot for ‘Love All Over Me’, he was the leading man.

They had won the championship the week before so the girl that was working for me said ‘You need Shannon Brown’ and when I saw him I was like, ‘Damn, that’s like a big, fine version of Chris Brown. Wow, like we just super sized [Chris Brown] and put like 15 1/2 feet extra on him [laughs].’ So when we met, it was instantaneous connection.” “When I started going to the games, it almost was a little scary because you know, I’m about that [life]. I’m not really somebody you could just like, scare up. But it almost makes me uncomfortable when somebody is willing and ready to do whatever to get to a [ballplayer]. And it doesn’t matter who! Whoever comes out the locker room, they’ve been watching these guys since college, some of them since high school. I’m glad I got a good warning. [One basketball wife] was like, ‘I want you to be prepared because everything is about to change,’ and I didn’t understand because [Shannon and I] were having so much fun. You know, we’re going places and just enjoying each other and the seasons had changed. And the season had just ended and they won the championship, and it could not have been more perfect. And she kept saying ‘You’ve got to prepare yourself for the stories and the lies. You know what’s happening in your house, so ‘stay’ your house. Don’t get out your body watching that other stuff.’ So I’m glad I got the preparation for it because it’s very different.” On People Claiming She’s “fake positive” “It’s no such thing as ‘fake positive’ with a life like mine. You can Google half the hell I’ve been through. So you can’t be fake-positive and get through what I’ve got through.” Yes Monica! You’ve got to love it when you let love in and let it win! It’s so important that we don’t give power to our past by letting it wreck our potential future. Here’s to Monica and other women dealing with pain and healing from love! Peep the whole interview on the next page. Monica’s album, Code Red, is out December 18!

We definitely appreciate Amber Rose and all she does, but we'd be lying if we said that her ass isn't the thing about her that we remember the most. It's just so big and round and glorious, and it would be wrong of us to deny it of all the admiration it deserves. But there are some new photos of Amber from just yesterday, and we hate to say it, but it sincerely looks like she might be using a little extra help to make her ass so ass-tastic. Butt pads, y'all. The betrayal is real. Check out these photos, and pay special attention to the ones where she's turned to the side. That little line that runs along the curve of her backside?

That's not the seam of her pants, and we're not familiar with any underwear that would make that particular line. And in one of the photos, you can see that the line curves in at the top, almost like it's something that's shaped exactly like an ass cheek. Don't get too heartbroken, OK? It's a tough pill to swallow for sure, but we'll get through this. And hey, we'll always have the Kardashians.

Looks like The Rock has himself a shiny new pebble! Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and longtime girlfriend Lauren Hashian welcomed a healthy baby girl on Wednesday, Entertainment Tonight confirms. Mother and baby are said to both be doing well. The couple confirmed the impending birth of their daughter in an adorable Instagram post last month. "I was raised by and live with amazing and strong women, so the universe felt we needed one more... IT'S A BABY GIRL!!!" he captioned the sunny selfie, showing off huge grins with his ladylove while keeping a firm grip on her belly. The family's new addition marks the first child for Hashian and the second for Johnson, who shares 14-year-old daughter Simone with ex-wife Dany Garcia. The 43-year-old actor reflected on his eight-year relationship with Hashian on OWN's Oprah's Master Class just a few weeks ago. "I wake up every day so grateful and so thankful that you have someone like [her]. Someone who you can walk through the world with," he gushed, calling the relationship his "most prized thing." "The smile is real when I think about that," he said.